Regulation reminder for party fishing:

Jennie@ifish · 12-12-2003, 05:36 AM

General Restrictions: The following activities are unlawful: 14. Continuing to angle for the same type of fish after taking and retaining a catch or possession limit. Exceptions are provided for in bass fishing tournament regulations, and anglers may continue to angle for sturgeon provided all subsequent fish are released."

I have witnessed people anchored at spots on the good steelhead rivers, catching and releasing after their tags have been filled... or, party fishing after one or more in the boat has limited.

I have been in boats where party fishing is the norm. But, it is illegal, right? Should the law be changed so that it is legal?

Guys and gals, steelhead are awesome to catch and release, and you may do that.. But if you choose to keep two, according to the law, your fishing day is over. Time to sit back and enjoy others catching fish, or push through and take out.

If you want to fish all day, carefully fish with catch and release favored gear.. no diver and bait,-- barbless hooks are good, too.

I know of several people who won't even fish certain spots anymore, because it gets clogged up with people who race their at o dark thirty and stay there all day long.

There are fish spread throughout the system, and we've found it more fun just to push through and go catch elsewhere.

For instance, yesterday on the Wilson, it was packed with boats. Knowing this, we fished some really suspect spots. We knew that it had been plugged heavily, here, and here... so we jigged in out of the way pockets that we felt had not had much pressure. We did OK!

I wish that we could all share. It's always going to be crowded in good spots, but if you anchor for a while, catch a few fish and move on, then everyone gets a turn, and it wouldn't be such a zoo race down to one hole.

I know there has been much controversy about changing laws to allow for party fishing, and I believe that the ocean charters now allow it. (But don't see it in the regs? Could have sworn I read a release...)
What are the pros and cons of party fishing? I believe that the concept was written to protect fish from C and R deaths. Is that correct?

I don't want to stir the pot, I just want ideas. I'm no holier than thou! I also don't think that this law is heavily monitored or enforced.

Has anyone been ticketed for party fishing?

Jen

Ratbaby · 12-12-2003, 06:17 AM

I don't have to worry about that I don't catch that many fish if I get one that is usually it.

hookumhi · 12-12-2003, 08:41 AM

fish,fish,I catch no stinkin fish!! but I hate it when people anchor right in the middle of the hole and <sit there> it seems to me no one practices etiquite!!

[ 12-12-2003, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: STGRule ]

Chromaflage · 12-12-2003, 08:46 AM

I say change the regs! Party fishing for all!!

Also, whatever happened to the discussion about selling permits for using a second rod? Sheesh - party fishing with two rods - could make for a busy day. :grin:

ORS

fishgirl · 12-12-2003, 09:14 AM

The new regs for party fishing are on pages 86 and 91 of the printed 2004 reg book.

Quote:

In the waters of the Pacific Ocean and in the Columbia River upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington bank through red buoy 44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point on the Oregon bank, each angler aboard a vessel may continue to use angling gear until the daily limit of fish for all legally licensed and juvenile anglers aboard has been achieved. However, no individual angler may exceed any personal daily bag limit.

Chromaflage · 12-12-2003, 09:18 AM

fishgirl - you beat me to it by about 10 seconds. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

ORS

Lured In · 12-12-2003, 09:33 AM

Jennie is not (i believe) referring to the Columbia. The new reg only applies to the ocean and the Columbia up to Tongue Point. (The rule was inacted to match WA regs.)

So that excludes all inland waters. (Costal rivers, the Willamette and tributaries and the Columbia and all OR tributaries above Tongue Point.)

So back to the question, should party fishing be allowed in other waters?

chummer · 12-12-2003, 10:32 AM

On numerous occasions I have witnessed sturgeon fishermen upgrade nearly dead sturgeon after they caught a second larger fish.

For this reason, I say once you've kept your fish, your done!

Lured In · 12-12-2003, 10:35 AM

Chummer...that practice of 'culling' fish is illegal (except as noted in bass tournaments,etc). If you see it report it.

ZaQ · 12-12-2003, 10:47 AM

I enjoy the party fishing thing when Astoria is on. Makes for a good day. My steelhead trips this year have resulted in me limiting out at like 0800 and having to row the other guys around the river. I still put out the two plug rods in an effort to be fishing, so to speak. On inland waters, I think when your done your done and it should stay that way. Ocean and CR to Tongue, party on! The only thing I wish they would change would be to allow party fishing for the rest of the Columbia. Leave the Kwiks/wobblers out for the other people in the boat. IMO.

Amerman · 12-12-2003, 11:13 PM

Jennie [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

I too see this all the time. I would like to see the rules change to say that when the boat limit is reach all people must quit fishing. But as it reads now you must put a rod away after keeping your second fish. It amazes me how many people do not follow this rule or even care. When I see this happen I call the OSP. I also can not believe how many of my clients fish with other guides that do not follow this rule. I don't know if I have ever went pass another guide and seen one of their clients with a rod put away.

I for one have been checked for this many times and also have had the cops crawl out of the bushes to check us( we have always had the right number of rods put away). I would love to see this rule changed it would make fishing for that last fish a lot easier than doing it with one rod. But until it is I say follow the law. As I tell my clients " No one is forcing you to kill a second fish, it's your choice keep it and quit or let it go and keep fishing"

I think this rule was changed to keep people from C&R after they had their two fish. Maybe they could write it such that you could not land a fish after tagging two but you could keep fishing and if you kooked a fish hand it to someone with an open tag.

Cohoangler · 12-12-2003, 11:40 PM

Scott - Good points however, it seems like what you've described is legal, but only if the guide can legally fish. And I thought the guide could legally fish in Oregon while he/she is guiding.

If so, a typical float trip with a guide could have as many as three rods out (two clients plus one guide). But there is often only two (both clients). So if a client lands and tags two fish, one rod of the three rods that are "authorized" needs to be put away. But that still leaves two rods out. In other words, one of those remaining rods is the guides, even though he/she is not really fishing with it. If the angler with the two fish limit hooks a fish on the "guides" rod he/she would hand it to the angler who has not filled his tag (or less likely, the guide).

Technically, once both clients fill their tags, they could still have one rod in the water but the guide would have to land whatever is hooked. In my experince, that almost never happens. Once the clients fill their tags, the day is over.

But I don't live in Oregon and I'm not a guide so perhaps you would know better than I.

riverraider · 12-13-2003, 10:04 AM

Personally, I would like to see the "party fishing" rules of the ocean extended to the river.
If you are plug fishing and have 3 fish in the boat, its difficult to get that 4th fish with just one rod out.
Also, I tend to take friends and neighbors with kids alot. During springer season here, its usually a back-bouncing deal with eggs, which are difficult if not impossible for kids, but once a fish is hooked they can and do fight it and legally tag it.

212hjet · 12-13-2003, 12:27 PM

Ethics, not greed. Experience, not numbers. The joy of being out there and having plain old fun..... and teaching youth and others how to enojoy the experience.
I'll take it like it is.

ANDYCOHO · 12-13-2003, 01:13 PM

Well said 212hjet.

I personally like how the regs are set up.

When angling in Inshore waters I always try to use the "Rotating Rod" Theory. If we are pluggin' or using Diver and Bait, we each get a turn on the "Hot" rod. I have found that this creates a fun anticipation on the boat, and not just one person hogging all of the fish. And when one person limits, his or her rod gets put away.

Personally, I enjoy watching people hook and land fish on my boat as much as catching them myself.

[ 12-13-2003, 02:14 PM: Message edited by: ANDYCOHO ]